WKS1220SJ: WORKSHOP: Intro to Wood Bending: Build a Custom Skateboard Deck
Learn the fundamentals of vacuum press wood bending and build a skateboard or longboard deck, from scratch, in this woodworking class for all skill levels. You'll learn how to laminate thin layers of maple to a curved mold using a vacuum press. Also, practice basic hand tool and power tools skills to shape and finish your deck. In the end, you'll walk away with a pro-quality skateboard or longboard deck and the skills to make all sorts of bent-wood objects.

This is a 2 part class. By signing up for Part 1 you are automatically registered in Part 2.

* Membership is verified at the time of the class session. Be sure to bring your badge.

WKS1234SJ: WORKSHOP: Introduction to Papercraft
Learn basic papercraft skills as an outlet for your creative side! Papercraft is a fun, impressive, inexpensive art form that is versatile enough to create just about anything you can imagine.

In this class, you will learn about design, construction methods, layering, part-cutting using precision scissors and hobby knives, piece placement and gluing techniques. You will use all of these and more to complete a small paper spaceship model designed by the instructor, or create your own project from scratch.

Discover how to avoid common pitfalls of the medium, and learn from an instructor with over 20 years of papercrafting experience. Find out how to make working joints and other moving parts. Learn the secrets of working large, and very small, with an introduction to micro-detailing.

Learn how to control this challenging yet fun medium to create durable organic shapes that dry quickly. Practice armature building and foam application techniques, discover different textures you can achieve with foam, and discover how to avoid common pitfalls from an artist with several years’ experience with this foam.

There are many ways of creating with expanding foam. You can apply it directly to a twisted-wire armature or create a newspaper-stuffed chicken-wire form. You can spray a shape onto a non-stick tarp, and pop it free when it’s dry. New foam sticks well to dry foam, so you can adhere several pieces together to build sculptures, or use wire to attach them to each other.

This foam can be cut easily, so subtractive methods are also possible. Learn how the foam “behaves,” practice existing techniques or create your own! Your imagination is the only limit.

* Membership is verified at the time of the class session. Be sure to bring your badge.

WKS1236SJ: WORKSHOP: Advanced VCarve Workshop: Cam Clamps
This workshop covers the use of Autodesk V-Carve Pro to create flexible toolpaths for cutting out a woodworker's cam clamp. The Inventor Assembly files will be provided so the student can learn to generate drawing files and then import relevant vectors into V-Carve for use. Drilling paths, pockets and profile paths will be generated for a variety of tooling.

Topics will include:

How to take an Autodesk Inventor part or Assembly file and create usable drawings and vector files

Strategies for dealing with variable thickness materials

Workholding and alignment techniques

Working with layers in V-Carve

Tool database use and setting feeds and speeds

This workshop is one of an "Art To Part" series featuring the design and realization of a woodworkers cam style clamp. The series covers the process and steps needed to take an idea or "napkin sketch" and create an actual working physical product. It's not necessary to take these workshops in order.

You will learn basic principles of design and consideration for making stamps as well as proper safety and maintenance of tools and materials. We will discuss what makes for a good design and what might be too difficult or detailed for the medium. After you create a simple design, we will cut away the negative space, which will take the largest amount of time. You will learn the best way to evenly lay the ink on the stamp and make a print as well as how to properly clean the equipment. Everyone will then get to make prints on colored or patterned paper.

* Membership is verified at the time of the class session. Be sure to bring your badge.

WKS1239SJ: WORKSHOP: Introduction to Paper Circuits
Explore artistic expression with technology as a creative material! Paper circuits are a low-tech way of prototyping electronic components onto paper-based materials, so you can hack your notebook, a card, or even sketches to make them look alive.

Learn how to transform illustrations that also move and light up, utilizing conductive materials like copper tape and Z-axis tape to build a simple circuit design. Maker Lindsay will teach the mechanics of paper engineering pop-up design with circuits to characters and creatures. Make them sparkle using LEDs and switches with a clever pull-tab design to construct an interactive storyboard.

* Membership is verified at the time of the class session. Be sure to bring your badge.

WKS1261SJ: WORKSHOP: Advanced ShopBot: Cam Clamp
In this workshop, students will learn through hands-on experience how to cut precision parts using the ShopBot. Toolpaths will be provided or students can use their own paths created in the V-Carve Cam Clamp workshop. Each student will go through the entire process of setting up the ShopBot and cutting out their parts.

Topics will include:

Creating a level working surface

Workholding and registration methods

Tool changing

Adjusting feeds and speeds for better finish

This workshop is one of an "Art to Part" series featuring the design and realization of a woodworker's cam-style clamp. The series covers the process and steps needed to take an idea or "napkin sketch" and create an actual working physical product. It's not necessary to take these workshops in order.

We will cover sharpening and tool shape; the four basic cuts and how to best use them; initial mounting; roughing to round and hogging off; techniques for re-mounting the bowl; shaping the exterior; hollowing and interior finish; sanding; reversing the bowl blank; and turning the foot and bottom. Time permitting, we may discuss green turning techniques.

Material costs include a 6 x 6 x 2 maple blank for each student. If you have your own bowl gouge, please feel free to bring it.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the Basic Wood Lathe Safety and Basic Use (SBU) class prior to taking this workshop.